5 Lifestyle Hacks to Beat the Winter Blues

As the Antipodean winter well and truly starts to bite, everything can appear that little bit harder and less fun.

You understand this time of year just too well and you do not especially like it. Skipping out of bed for a 6am beach training session at 9 degrees becomes an extremely various proposition to when it’s a balmy 16 degrees. The work-year appears to lastly be beginning with a revenge, keeping you back at the workplace till some ungodly hour (like 5.30 pm). Masterchef is back on TV. Yep, winter season is here, alright.

So here are some of the crucial things I’m doing to keep my body and mind on track and prevent a descent into seasonal unfavorable nelly-dom.

1. Practise gratitude

This is a fantastic habit to develop and comes more naturally to some than others; some lucky souls do it without thinking whilst others have to work a little harder at it.

In today’s society, with so much information coming at us continuously through so many mediums, it’s simple to get caught up in what you do not have but should, exactly what you should’ve done however have not, and what you need to’ve got but don’t yet.

The truth is, as a younger person in an industrialized society we are amongst the luckiest 2% of individuals on the planet. We have shelter, we have food, we have clothing, we have health care, we have mobile phones, we have mind-altering mixtures literally forced upon us from an early age. When contrasted with the millions and millions of individuals who don’t have any of those things (apart from maybe mobile phones), it’s easy to call us whingers. Big time.

However the principal of relative deprivation makes it tough for us to form impressions of ourselves based upon a worldwide scale, instead leaving us to compare ourselves to individuals in the exact same boat as us. This, if you live in upscale locations of cities like Sydney, London or New york city, can leave you harbouring sensations of inferiority, as if you’re never going to make it.

To this end, if ever I find myself wallowing in puddles of self-pity, I make a play for one of my pleased places (either the Coogee dog park or Centennial Park in Sydney). Here I can spend some quality time practising being glad for all the good things in my life. Being outside for this actually permits me to appreciate my insignificance in the greater scheme of things, whilst, at the same time, concentrating on exactly what really matters to me.

[P.S. Do not hate me for the ‘pleased location’ occurrence. It won’t take place once again.]

2. Drink more water first-thing

As I tip this is as old as the hills however that still does not make it any simpler to stay with. To make sure I do it, I go to bed with a full bottle of water by my bed. Often I’ll take a few sips during the night. Whatever is left in the early morning I drink up before I do anything else. Some individuals recommend lemon in the water however I’m too lazy to go to the cooking area. The act of sleeping is majorly dehydrating. This stems the tide.

3. Walk and take in the early morning

I like to work out in the early morning. It actually is the very best way to start the day. But, as the year go by, I’m beginning to feel more slow first-thing. This specifically uses in winter. So, if I know I have a difficult training session later in the day, I’m not going to kill myself getting out of bed at 5.15 am. Well not every day, anyway.

I do wish to get my body moving, though. And I have a pet dog. So strolling the pet, as quickly as he’ll enable, is a terrific method to get up my body and my mind. Whilst I have to do with it, I do some breathing exercises. This typically consists of four shallow breaths in through the nose, followed by 4 sharp exhalations out through the mouth. For 5 minutes.

This technique originated from Tony Robbins and I like it since it shocks me awake from that sleepiness that sometimes sticks around long after you’ve awakened. It brings a real focus and clarity to the day ahead and because I” m totally concentrated on my breathing there is no scope to harp on unimportant stuff.

4. Workout at lunchtimes

Winter lunchtimes are perfect for exercising: (somewhat) less travelers about; best temperature; clear blue skies. However in the early morning rush, something that often gets left is my gym bag. I know – it’s up there with the canine consuming my research as a lame reason. But it happens.

My ingenious trick to counter this condition? I load my gym bag the night before so I can merely get it en route out the door. Yes, that’s right. The. Night. Before. Keep in mind where you got this pointer – it’s gold.

5. Enter sports events

Inspiration can be tough to come by in the bleak midwinter. The idea of choosing a morning run can be about as luring as going to the dental professional. Nevertheless, when a race or event looms big on your calendar, those biting early starts unexpectedly appear that much more bearable. Funny, huh?

I’m constantly remarkably jealous of those doughty advocates for whom running is just a way of living. They train throughout the year as if they’re training for a marathon. Usually it’s due to the fact that THEY ARE. Unfortunately, fallout shelter hack. I need something in the calendar with the possible to embarrass me to get my sorry ass out of bed to run.